NY Rangers fans boo Canadian national anthem as Toronto Maple Leafs visit Madison Square Garden

The national anthem wars between the United States and Canada are not over yet.

While it has been faint, playful sports banter in the past, things took a serious turn last month amid political tensions between the two countries.

It began at an Ottawa Senators game on Feb. 1, when the fans booed the “Star-Spangled Banner” upon the Minnesota Wild’s visit. The next day, Toronto Raptors fans booed the anthem when the Los Angeles Clippers came to town.

The boos reached new heights during the highly contested 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, which Canada eventually won over the U.S., but when the Toronto Maple Leafs visited Madison Square Garden on Friday night, the boos still rang.

New York Rangers fans booed the singing of “O, Canada” before their 3-2 loss to the team from up north.

In a sense of irony, Team USA captain Auston Matthews was on the opposing end of the boos Friday night, considering he is a superstar for the Leafs.

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The initial boos came on the same day that President Donald Trump signed an executive order consisting of a 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on imports from China. Trump also has stated that Canada could become the “51st state.” The Canadian tariffs were eventually held off.

After Canada defeated USA in an overtime thriller for the 4 Nations title, Prime Minister Justin Trudueau, who had announced his impending resignation, took a parting shot at Trump.

“You can’t take our country – and you can’t take our game,” he posted on X.

As for the Blueshirts, it was a tough loss as they continue to try to squeak into the playoffs. The Leafs’ 76 points are currently the second-best in the Eastern Conference, and the team leads the Atlantic Division.

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